The Pew Research Center defines members of Gen Z as anyone born between 1997 and 2012, making the average age for the second-youngest generation between 13 and 28 years old. Because Gen Z grew up with the internet as part of their daily lives, these young people are often referred to as “digital natives” who […]
Telehealth has helped connect countless individuals with mental health services. While virtual therapy is convenient and accessible for many patients, providers should consider that some people may be apprehensive due to limited experience with technology, concerns around confidentiality, or the lack of the personal connection that in-person sessions can provide. For Mental Health Awareness Month, […]
In today’s digital age, virtual therapy has become an essential tool for providing mental health support. While it offers convenience and accessibility, it also presents unique challenges in creating the same level of emotional safety and connection as in-person sessions. For mental health providers, ensuring that patients feel secure, supported, and understood in a virtual […]
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During the 2024 Virginia Telehealth Network Summit, Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance (BRTA) received the inaugural VTN Innovator Award for its work to expand access to behavioral health care in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck regions of rural Virginia. The VTN Innovator Award celebrates the unique and groundbreaking ways health care providers, clinics, and organizations […]
Read More… from Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance Receives Inaugural VTN Innovator Award
Mental Health Awareness Month is in full swing and with it, a reminder of the importance of maintaining mental wellness. Across the country mental health conditions are a persistent challenge with more than 20% of adults (approximately 50 million) experiencing a mental illness every year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Factors […]
Across the country, Substance Use Disorder (SUD) continues to be one of the most prevalent challenges faced by many: in 2023, 15.35% of Americans were reported to be battling substance use disorder according to data from Mental Health America. Of those, 93.5% did not receive any form of treatment. Stigma, cost, and geographical barriers have […]
The breadth and depth of Virginia’s mental health crisis is harrowing. According to Mental Health America, Virginia is in the bottom-third of states when it comes to access to mental health services. Additionally, the latest data from the Health Resources & Services Administration states that every locality throughout the state is experiencing a shortage of […]
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Nicole (Nikki) Kemp, NP-C of Bernard Healthcare Center in Rocky Mount, Va. is providing hope for her patients by talking openly about how important mental health care is to meeting the overall health needs of her patients. Earlier this year, Bernard Healthcare Center began offering free teletherapy to eligible patients of the clinic through the […]
As we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, it’s important to reflect on the breadth and depth of mental health issues across the country. Virtually every adult agrees the country is facing a mental health crisis, as nearly a third of U.S. adults report feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Younger generations […]
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There is a great need for behavioral and mental health services in Virginia. A Mental Health America report ranked Virginia 39th nationwide when it comes to the availability of mental health services for adults, with 125 out of 133 cities and counties in the state designated as Mental Health Professional Shortages Areas. To help expand […]
Read More… from VTN-Led Initiative Now Offering Free Telemental Health Services Statewide
Telehealth served not only as a solution for Bradley Free Clinic, and many other clinics and providers, to be able to see existing mental health patients during the onset of the pandemic, but it allowed Bradley to support its community when the demand for mental health skyrocketed. In just over two years, Bradley increased its mental health […]
Read More… from Supporting Roanoke’s exploding demand while growing recourses
For most mental health providers, the COVID-era transition from in-person sessions to virtual ones was a challenge, even for those with clients who had ready access to broadband internet. Communicating through a computer or cell phone does not come second nature to all, especially when your client is five years old. When the world shut […]
Read More… from For Mental Health Therapy, “Meeting Kids Where They Are” Might Best be Online
Now that patients, health care workers and policymakers can widen the lens on telehealth’s impact beyond an emergency response, the benefits are innumerable. The latest equity and telehealth news round-up covers the new national suicide hotline, federal funding for expanded telehealth access, telehealth easing the burden of high gas prices and reducing antibiotic use in […]
From remote patient monitoring to teletherapy, minor medical visits and more, we’ve seen the versatility in which telehealth can be used across health care systems. And it became a saving grace for treatment and recovery for people with substance use disorders, especially during the pandemic. According to the CDC, 13% of Americans reported starting or […]
Virginia Telehealth Network’s Benchmarking Telehealth Usage in Virginia survey revealed the many benefits of telehealth, like increased flexibility for providers and patients. Another important benefit the survey findings illustrate is how telehealth is increasing mental health access for Virginians. The survey report finds that 97% of behavioral and mental health providers in the state expanded […]
The staff and faculty at Germanna Community College have known for a long time that their students face non-academic barriers, many of which were exacerbated by the pandemic. That’s why advisors, faculty and staff have worked hard to provide holistic support to students. Over the last two years, there has been an increase in demand […]
Read More… from Virginia’s Community Colleges provide students with free, virtual mental health care
Like so many mental health practitioners, Dr. Michael Greelis made the transition to teletherapy a bit begrudgingly, recognizing that in the throes of a pandemic, you really don’t have much of a choice. A licensed professional counselor in Northern Virginia since 1995, his practice up until March 2020 had been exclusively a traditional one – […]
Transitioning to virtual learning was tough on students, especially for students who had difficulty performing in the classroom. Students with limitations that impact their senses, coordination, executive functioning, communication and/or behavior can find remote learning even more of a challenge. It’s why Chesterfield County Public Schools, which provides Occupational Therapy services for its students, introduced […]
Read More… from Creating access to online learning via occupational teletherapy
Michelle Allen is an occupational therapist for Chesterfield County Public Schools and serves students privately through Treehouse Pediatric Therapy. In the school system, occupational therapists help students access their social and academic environments, which completely changed during the pandemic. “In an in-person classroom, we might be looking at positioning for seating or how students use […]
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Improving telehealth means ensuring there is equity at every level. Tools, technology and processes must be accessible and customized to meet the needs of all patients. The technology providers use also should offer enhanced options and have translation capabilities for those with a language barrier. Another way physicians can improve telehealth is by digitizing paper […]
Read More… from Equity in Telehealth: Addressing Areas in Need